Lasting appliance



1939- I A. F. BANCROFT ET AL 2,142,831

LASTING APPLIANCE Filed May 26. 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Jan. 3, 1939. A. F. BANCROFT ET AL I 2,142,831

LASTING APPLIANCE Filed May 26, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 7156 1 5 jjzmra z W1? I Jacofi 61' Wait;

Patented Jan. 3, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE LASTIN G APPLIANCE Massachusetts Application May 26, 1937, Serial No. 144,804

14 Claims.

This invention relates to the manufacture of shoes and more particularly to apparatus for use in lasting shoes.

In accordance with the usual methods of lasting, the upper is pulled over the toe of the last and is temporarily secured in place while the shoe is being lasted at thesides. After completion of the side lasting, the toe and heel lasting are usually completed on a bed laster having movable wiper plates which are caused to move inwardly and over the projecting marginal portions of the upper, thereby causing these portions to become pleated or folded inwardly over and upon the under surface of the inner sole. In order to avoid undue fullness of the pleated material at the toe, it is the usual practice not only to trim off that part of the toe box which projects beyond the level of the last bottom, but as the bulk of the pleated material at the toe is so great that the wiper plates of the bed laster will not flatten it down to a level surface, it is necessary to grind or cut this part away,--a crude operation which leaves the margins of the upper and lining very ragged and irregular, and which necessitates the further operation of pounding to reduce the remainder to a substantially flat or level condition. Moreover, as these operations are timeconsuming, they add appreciably to the cost of making the shoe, particularly in the case of the less expensive grades where the lasts are pulled as soon as possible after the lasting.

The principal objects of the present invention are to provide a reliable and eflicient appliance for removing the excess pleated material of the inturned upper so as to produce a substantially fiat surface; to provide an appliance capable of conjoint use with the wiper plates of a bed laster so as to be effective not only to remove the excess pleated material but also simultaneously to subject the marginal portions of the inturned upper to heat and/or pressure sufficient to effect a satisfactory adhesive bond between the inner sole and inturned margins of the upper; and to provide an appliance which is capable of use in lasting shoes of a wide range of width and size and which does not require the use of special lasting equipment or necessitate adjustments of or alterations in the conventional types of lasting equipment.

Further objects will be apparent from a consideration of the following description and accompanying drawings, wherein Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the lasting appliance constructed in, accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged transverse section on the line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged longitudinal section through the base of the appliance;

Fig. 4 is a bottom plan view of the appliance showing the cutter and associated parts in advanced position;

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4, with parts removed so as to show the cutter and associated parts in retracted position;

Fig. 6 is a view, partly in horizontal section, illustrating the manner in which the appliance is applied to a lasted shoe;

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary perspective view showing the appearance of the inturned margins of a shoe upper prior to the final wiping operation;

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary bottom view of a shoe illustrating the action of the wiping plates of a bed laster;

Fig. 9 is a bottom view of a shoe showing the wiped-in margins of the shoe upper;

Fig. 10 is a plan view with parts broken away, illustrating the use of my appliance in conjunction with the wiper;

Fig. 11 is a view similar to Fig. 10 but showing the cutter in advanced position relative to its position in Fig. 10;

Figs. 12 and 13 are fragmentary plan and sectional views, respectively, illustrating the action of the cutter;

Fig. 14 is a view similar to Fig. 9 but showing the lasted shoe with the excess pleated material removed;

Fig. 15 is a side elevation, partly diagrammatic, showing a modified form of my appliance; and

Fig. 16 is a plan view of the base member of the appliance shown in Fig. 15.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 6, the lasting appliance comprises a base plate l, preferably conforming more or less closely to the shape of the forepart of a shoe sole so that it may be accurately positioned upon the inturned margins of a lasted shoe upper for use in ironing said margins in conjunction with the wiper plates of a lasting machine, as illustrated in Fig. 6. The lateral portions of the upper surface of the base plate are designed to underlie the lasting wipers which may be brought down forcibly upon such upper surface, thereby to press the appliance firmly against the wiped-in upper material so as to smooth, iron, and set the latter. The base plate is formed with a longitudinally extending slot 2 which terminates in or communicates with a triangular shaped chamber or opening 4 formed in the forepart of the base plate, as shown in Figs. 3 to 5.

The under surface of the base plate adjacent to the longitudinal edges of the slot 2 is cut away to receive a cover plate 5 (Fig. 2) forming the bottom wall of the slot 2. The forepart of the base plate is likewise recessed, as indicated at 6 in Fig. 5, to provide spaced shoulders 1 against which a guide plate 8 is positioned. The guide plate 8 is formed with a triangular shaped opening aligned with the opening 4, and this plate 8 cooperates with the top wall of the recess 6 of V the base plate to define a vertically narrow guide slot 9 which extends laterally from the opposite sides of the opening 4.

The upper surface of the base plate is provided with a pair of fixed parallel rails l9 disposed respectively at opposite sides of the slot 2, each rail having an inwardly extending lip ||,the two rails defining a guideway for a sliding block |2 movable longitudinally of the slot 2. The rear end of the block I2 is provided with a stop I4 engageable with the ends of the rails H] to limit the forward movement of the block relative to the base plate.

An arm l6 loosely fits within the slot 2 and extends into the chamber 4, as shown in Figs. 3 to 5. The rear end of the arm I6 is pivotally secured to the rear of the block l2 by a pin il (Fig. 3) and its opposite end is secured to a thin cutter blade l8 slidably mounted in the guide slot 9 for bodily movement longitudinally of the base plate, as well as for a slight transverse oscillatory movement, as indicated by the dot and dash lines of Fig. 5. The cutter I8 is thus freely movable in the chamber 4, and its rear edge is engageable with the rear wall of the chamber to limit the rearward movement of the arm l6 and associated parts.

The block I2 is formed with an integral upstanding socket 20' which receives the lower end of a handle 22 having an axial bore 23 registering with a passage through the block |2 providing communication between the bore 23 of the handle and the slot 2 of the base plate, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. An electric motor 25 is mounted on the upper end of the handle 22 and is provided with a control switch 26 conveniently located on its casing. The motor is connected to a driving shaft 28 which extends down through the axial bore 23 of the handle and has its lower portion disposed in the slot 2, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. The lower end of the driving shaft 28 is provided with an eccentric pin 30 (Fig. 3) which projects into an elongate slot 3| in the arm |6 intermediate its ends.

With the construction and arrangement thus described, rotation of the shaft 28 is effective to oscillate the arm l6 about the pin l1, thus causing a transverse reciprocation of the outer I8, and as the motor 29, handle 22, block I2, arm I6, and cutter l8 are movable as a unit longitudinally of the base plate, the cutter l8 may be moved forwardly from. retracted position (Fig. 5) and simultaneously reciprocated to cut material projecting into the chamber 4.

Referring to Figs. '7 to 14 the numeral 35 indicates a shoe upper which has been drawn over the toe of the last with its marginal portions 36 and 31 folded inwardly over the inner sole 38 in accordance with certain conventional shoe-making practices. The last may then be mounted in a bed-lasting machine having lasting wipers 40 and 4| of well-known type, and these wipers are then manipulated so as to wipe the margin of the upper (at the toe portion at least of the shoe) so that at the completion of the in-wiping,

the parts occupy substantially the position shown in Fig. 8, wherein the marginal portions 36 and 31 of the upper are disposed flat against the bottom surface of the insole and with the upper stretched taut about the toe portion of the last. The initial stages of the wiping operation result in the formation of a plurality of more or less radial pleats 42 at and adjacent to the toe portion of the lasted shoe, as shown in Fig. 9, by reason of the fullness of the upper material at this point.

At some time in the wiping operation, the opposed surfaces of the margins of the upper and of the insole are rendered adhesive as, for example, by the application of rubber latex between these surfaces, usually just before the final inwiping and before the lasting appliance of the present invention is positioned on the margins, although the adhesive may be introduced at any earlier period. If desired an adhesive which is normally dry but which becomes tacky upon the application of heat or solvent may be used.

Having proceeded in this manner the wipers 40 and 4| are now lifted and, if the lasting is to be completed in the bed-lasting machine, the appliance is immediately placed over the shoe bottom so that the base plate I overlies the wipedin marginal material and the pleated material 42 projects into the chamber 4, the block |2 at this time being in its rearmost position. However, if it be prefered to complete the lasting operation in another machine, the shoe may first be transferred to such other machine and thereafter the appliance may be positioned on the wiped-in material, as above described.

Assuming that the operation is to be completed in the bed laster, and that the wipers have been raised, as above suggested, and, if desired, partly retracted, as shown in Fig. 10, they are then moved downwardly with substantial force, thereby to press the base plate I firmly against the wiped-in marginal material and force as much of the excess pleated material 42 into the chamber 4 as is possible.

With the block l2 and associated parts still in retracted position, as shown in Fig. 10, the switch 26 of the motor is then closed, thus causing the cutter l8 rapidly to oscillate. The handle 22 is then urged forwardly toward advanced position, as indicated in Fig. 11. The forwardly moving, reciprocating cutter l8, moving in a definite plane substantially parallel to the bottom of the insole, comes in contact with the pleated material 42 and quickly slices or trims off the excess which projects substantially above the wiped-in margins 36 and 31, as illustrated in Figs. 12 and 13, thus leaving a smooth,'evenly trimmed surface, indicated at 45 in Fig. 14.

The appliance shown in Figs. 15 and 16 is substantially identical in all material particulars to the device shown in Figs. 1 to 6 and the same reference characters have been applied to corresponding parts. However, in this particular embodiment the base plate la is formed with the elongate bores or openings 3 extending adjacent to its lateral edges and a heating element 50 is disposed in each of the openings, the heating elements being suitably connectible with a service line '5! which may be provided with the usual controls, etc.

This modified appliance may be used in the same manner as that previously described and is particularly suitable when using a thermoplastic adhesive, or an adhesive capable of setting more effectively under the influence of heat, it being understood that if desired thedevi'ceof Figs. 1 to 6 inclusive may be heated by subjecting it to an external source of heat, for example, by placing it upon a stove prior to use.

While we have shown and described different desirable embodiments of the invention, it is to be understoodthat this disclosure is for the purpose of illustration and that various changes in shape, proportion and arrangement of parts, as well as the substitution of equivalent elements for those herein shown and described, maybe made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

We claim:

1. An appliance for lasting shoes comprising a base plate designed to be positioned against the wiped-in margins of a shoe upper, said base plate having a chamber spaced from its edges and arranged to receive pleated portions of the wiped-in margins of the shoe upper, a cutter disposed within said chambenguide means slidably supporting said cutter for bodily movement from rear to front of the chamber, means pivotally supporting said cutter for movement transversely of the chamber, and means for oscillating said cutter in the latter direction.

2. An appliance for lasting shoes comprising a supporting member designed to be placed over the wiped-in margins of a shoe upper, said supporting member having a longitudinally extending slot terminating at its forward end in an enlarged chamber adapted to receive pleated portions of the wiped-in margins of the shoe upper, an arm loosely mounted in said slot with one end projecting into said chamber, a cutter secured to the end of said arm, and means for oscillating said arm.

3. An appliance for lasting shoes comprising a base plate substantially conforming in shape to the forepart of a shoe sole and adapted to be positioned against the wiped-in margins of a shoe upper, said base plate having a longitudinally extending slot terminating at its forepart in an enlarged chamber adapted to receive pleated portions of the wiped-in margins of the shoe upper, a block movable longitudinally of said base plate, an arm loosely mounted in said slot and slidable longitudinally thereof, one end of said arm being pivoted to said block and its opposite end projecting into said chamber, a cutter arranged in said chamber and secured to the end of said arm, and means for oscillating said arm so as to effect cutting movement of said cutter.

4. An appliance for lasting shoes comprising a base substantially conforming in shape to the forepart of a shoe sole and adapted to be positioned upon the wiped-in margins of a shoe upper, said base having a longitudinally extending slot terminating at its forepart in an enlarged chamber adapted to receive pleated portions of the wiped-in margins of the shoe upper, a block movable longitudinally of said base, an arm loosely mounted in said slot and movable longitudinally thereof, said arm being pivoted to said block and having its forward end disposed in said chamber, a cutter disposed in said chamber and secured to the end of said arm, and means carried by said block for oscillating said arm so as to effect cutting movement of said cutter.

5. An appliance for lasting shoes comprising a base substantially conforming in shape to the forepart of a shoe sole and adapted to be positioned against the wiped-in margins of a shoe upper, said base having a longitudinally extending slot terminating at its forepart in an enlarged chamber adapted to receive pleated portions of the wiped-in margins of the shoe upper, a block supported for sliding movement longitudinally of said base, an arm disposed in said slot, one end of said arm being pivotally secured to said block with its opposite end extending into said chamber, a cutter disposed in said recess and connected to said arm, and means mounted on said block for reciprocating said arm.

'6. An appliance for lasting shoes comprising a base substantially conforming in shape to the forepart of a shoe sole and adapted to be positioned against the wiped-in margins of a shoe upper, said base having a longitudinally extending slot terminating at its forepart in an enlarged chamber adapted to receive pleated portions of the wiped-in margins of the shoe upper, a block slidably mounted on the top face of said base, an. arm mounted in said slot and pivotally secured to said block so as to oscillate relative to said base, one end of said arm projecting into said chamber, a cutter disposed in said recess and mounted on the end of said arm, an upstanding handle mounted on said block, and means carried by said handle for oscillating said arm.

7. A portable lasting appliance for use in a lasting process in which adhesive is used for uniting the lasted-in margin of the upper to the bottom of the insole, said appliance having a presser surface designed to rest upon the lasted-in marginal portion of the upper while the shoe is mounted in the bed lasting machine, said appliance having elements designed for engagement by the lasting wipers whereby the latter may press the appliance forcibly against the lasted-in marginal material, a movable cutter, the appliance comprising means constraining the cutter to move bodily in a path substantially parallel to the bottom surface of the insole and longitudinally thereof, and a handle for use in positioning the appliance upon the shoe bottom, said handle also constituting means for moving the cutter lengthwise of the insole.

8. A lasting appliance for use in a lasting process in which adhesive is used for uniting thelaster-in marginal material of the toe portion of the upper to the bottom of the insole, said appliance having a presser surface designed to rest upon the outer portion of said lasted-in marginal material and to flatten such outer portion, the appliance also comprising means designed for the application of force for urging the appliance firmly against said marginal material, a movable cutter for trimming away upwardly projecting parts of said marginal material, the appliance having a guideway for the cutter so arranged as to constrain the latter to move in a plane substantially parallel to the bottom surface of the insole, and means whereby the cutter may be moved bodily longitudinally of the insole.

9. A lasting appliance useful in bed lasting shoes, said appliance having a presser surface designed to rest upon the outer portion of the lasted-in margin of a shoe upper while the shoe is in the bed lasting machine, a movable cutter for trimming away upwardly projecting inner portions of said margin, the appliance comprising guide means for the cutter constraining the latter to move in a plane substantially parallel to the bottom surface of the insole, a handle for use in positioning the appliance upon the shoe, said handle also constituting means whereby the cutter may be moved bodily longitudinally of the insole, and drive means operative to impart a slicing motion to the cutter.

10. A lasting appliance for use in bed lasting shoes, said appliance being of that kind having a presser surface designed to rest upon wiped-in marginal portions of a shoe upper while the shoe is still in the bed lasting machine, and also having means for heating said presser surface, characterized in having a movable cutter for trimming away upwardly projecting portions of said marginal material, a guideway for the cutter constraining the latter to move in a plane substantially parallel to the bottom surface of the insole, means operative to impart a slicing movement to the cutter, and a handle for moving the cutter bodily longitudinally of the insole.

11. A portable appliance for use in lasting shoes comprising a base plate having an under surface, portions of which are designed to be pressed against the lasted-in margin of a shoe upper, said base plate having in said bottom surface a chamber spaced from its edges and arranged to receive pleated portions of the lastedin marginal material, the appliance also having elements designed for the application of force for urging the base plate toward the shoe bottom so as to cause the pleated portions of the marginal material to project up into said chamber, cutting means carried by the base plate and constructed and arranged to shear off the pleated portions of the marginal material which project up into said chamber, and means for effecting the operation of said cutting means.

12. A portable appliance for use in bed lasting shoes, said appliance being of the kind having a base plate substantially conforming in shape to the forepart of a shoe sole, said plate having a presser surface engageable with the lasted-in margin of the upper while the shoe is in the bed lasting machine, said base plate also having means engageable by the bed lasting wipers whereby to force the appliance down against the shoe bottom, characterized in that the forepart of the base plate has a chamber spaced from its edges and arranged to receive pleated upstanding portions of the lasted-in margin of the upper, a reciprocable cutting instrumentality disposed in said chamber with its cutting edge adjacent to the plane of the under surface of the base plate, and means for reciprocating said cutting instrumentality.

13. A portable appliance for use in bed lasting shoes comprising a base plate substantially conforming in shapeto the forepart of a shoe sole and adapted to be positioned against the lasted-in margins of the shoe upper while the shoe is in the bed lasting machine, the forepart of said base plate having a chamber spaced from its edges and arranged to receive pleated portions of the lasted-in margins of the shoe upper, oscillatory cutting means within said chamber, and means for efiecting an oscillatory movement of said cutting means.

14. An appliance for lasting shoes comprising a base plate designed to be positioned against the wiped-in margins of a shoe upper, the forepart of said base plate having a chamber spaced from its edges and arranged to receive pleated portions of the wiped-in margins of the shoe upper, cutting means within said chamber, guide means for guiding said cutting means to move bodily longitudinally of the shoe bottom, means supporting the cutting means for oscillatory movement transversely of the shoe bottom, means useful for moving the cutting means longitudinally of the shoe bottom, and means operative to oscillate the cutting means while it is being moved longitudinally.

ALBERT F. BANCROF'I. JACOB S. KAMBORIAN. 

